SEEDS BILL. [H.L.] (Hansard, 12 August 1920)

§ THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (LORD LEE OF FAREHAM)

My Lords, I beg to move that your Lordships now consider the Amendments passed in another place to the Seeds Bill. They are of a very simple character, to which neither the Government nor, I hope, your Lordships will take exception. I understand that there has not been time to print and circulate the Commons Amendments, but, with your Lordships' leave, I will state what they are.

The first Amendment is in Clause 4, page 4, line 11, omitting subsection (7). This was a subsection which provided that the Ministry should have the power of issuing what would be, in effect, a Black List of individuals who have offended against Seeds Orders. It is now considered desirable that we should rely upon prosecutions rather than publication of facts where the proposed Regulations may have been broken. The Amendment was accepted by the Government in another place to leave out this particular subsection, and I ask your Lordships to agree with that action.

The second Amendment was to leave out "August, 1920," the date on which the Bill was intended to come into operation, and substitute therefor "August, 1921." This Amendment was also moved by the Government in another place in order to defer the operation of the Bill until 1234 August 1, 1921, because if the Bill were to become law and its operation to commence on August 1 of this year, as originally proposed, the necessary Regulations could not be published in time for the 1920-21 season. Further, the Ministry at this late date would have no time in which to make the proper inspection of the testing establishments applying for licences. The net effect is to postpone the coming into operation of the Bill for a year.

The third Amendment is a new clause, to be Clause 13, which was moved by the Government in another place consequent on the passing by that House of the Financial Resolution. It is in these words— Any expenses incurred by the Minister, the Board of Agriculture for Scotland, or the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland in carrying this Act into execution shall, up to an amount approved by the Treasury, be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament. I move that the Commons Amendments be now considered.